Gary / Terri

Dear all,
well 149 replies and several hundred viewings I must have at least started something. I have read most of the posings and I would like to reply to some and also give an update.Re the TV for $150 I am sure this was at Big W n Warringah Mall I also agree that the dvd players are cheaper than the video recorders, but still circa$150 don't foget to haggle.....this is a real tip to those in the UK coming to Aus...can you imagine going into John Lewis, Curries or Dixons and haggling the price, well you do here, jut imagine you are in a car showroomin the UK who ever pays full price...well that is the same for TV's, Fridges, Furniture, cars etc etc belive i or not the best deal I got was at Myer ( like John Lewis) I managed to get the price down by 15%, free deivery and install of a plasma TV along with a further 10% because I opened a Myer card account and this applies to your first purchase, the deal at the time was free Foxtel fr 6 months including install ( circa $500) and also LG were doing a deal which gave us a free stereo and set to box...now that is what I call a deal......on the haggle front be prepared to walk away and come back another day and see a different assistant you never know.
The Coles use is at Kellyville, I live in Castle Hill, it is huge and maybe w just have a very good one....on the ready meals front I do agree, but this is a different way of life, its an outside culture, would you eat a ready meal outside in the UK on sunny summrs evening..NO.. you would have a salad ad maybe something on the BBQ...well last week (winterish) we sat outside at lunchtime for Fathers Day over here ( got 2 in one year now there is a first UK and Aus) the temp was circa 20 degrees and sunny, salads, BBQ prawns and grilled mango on the gas BBQ outside, pray tell me why I need to have a Tesco Chicken with Bacon in a white sauce reay meal in a plastic tub cooked in a microwave...its different out here...why move from the UK and live exactly the same thats just boring you have to go with the flow.....on that front when you get invited o a BBQ over here you take your own beer and wine in your Eskie ( cool box) and maybe your own meat fo the Barbie....the hosts provide the BBQ and th company, no wonder they have so many parties over here you can afford to, its just cooking your evening meal with friends.....can you imagine taking your Tesco Chicken and bacon in white sauce and cookingit in your mates microwave...maybe as students but not with the wife and kids.
I know we have a water shortage over here but most mornings I do love the bright blue sky's and sunshine everyday it makes you feel so much better and Spring and Summer are yet to come..bring it on
On the subject of Bunnings I a sure it is like B&Q ut it is still good and reasonable, power screwdriver for £3.60 and a verandah table and two chairs which are really comfortable just $49 ( thats circa £20) I like it anyway!!

Another slightly annoying thing the speed limits..very low and change about 10 times on the same road within within 5KMs...I do like the speed restrictions around schools 40km's good idea this!!
On a personal note I hate meters on a golf course YARDS please but hey add 10% and a bit and you are there so hey.
A useful tip is to practice several times the questions online for the drivers knowledge test it helped my son, wife and myself pass first time.

I have some other info on buying house compared to the UK if this is of use to anyone, send me a PM also on schools in the Hills area for 14 and 16 year oldsif this helps

So over to the long time Aussies please advise some great places to visit within an hour+ of the Hills including god restraunts..what do we like places like? Dee Why and the seafront coffee shops and great sarnies, Manly, and Palm Beach thas the sea where to go in the mountains, the inland waterways ( sorry no boat only a car) the hunter valley and maybe some ts for the great ocean road in a soft top during the Autumn.

Back soon

chocaholic

I'm not a "long time Aussie", but I love food. I would recommend Stella Blu at Dee Why seafront for a delicious Italian lunch or dinner. It's a BYO, food is not cheap but the service and quality are good. I also had a good fish and chips at Fin. If I'm on the beach or in the area, I like my coffee from Bacino's. Bacino's is a very small cafe up the side street from the seafront (up the corner from Stella Blu). They do good coffee, Italian style sandwiches and scrambled eggs.

Stella Blu has one of the best sticky date puddings with King Island cream.

There're lots of other places along there, but I haven't tried them yet!

In the Hunter Valley, we stayed at Cypress Lakes - the golf course is great, although a bit of a challenge for us. There is also a Golden Door Resort - for all kinds of pampering - they used Aveda products when I was there. Brokenwood winery is just along from there. I love their Cricket Pitch red.

Well, I don't want to bore you all with any other personal favourites - that'll come another time

Moving to Boston?

Hi

Been in Sydney for 2.5 yrs and here is my very brief rundown.

Supermarkets...crap compared to UK in terms of choice....canned foods are very expensive (70c for a tin of beans, come on u can get home brand in Tesco's for 5p)..cheese selection, laughable, almost as bad as the US. Bread expensive,,,,

If you want great quality and choice stick to local shops and deli's and buy commodity from coles etc

Fresh veg......very cheap
Aussie cars....very cheap
European cars....very expensive
Aussie TV......garbage, US rubbish
Barbies.....cheap, have to be!
Petrol.....cheap (40p a litre at the mo).
Private schools, much cheaper.
Beer...same as UK and crap
Quality electrical items...expensive but getting cheaper

I think in general the cost of living is comparable, especially when you look at the lower salary here (yeah I know this may not be the same for everyone).

I am married with 3 kids so for others this may be different.

However there are up sides, mainly around the weather and beaches....and yes, I may move to Boston,

cheers

vivalasvegan

But I have to say, one of my favourite all time supermarkets have to be Morrisons. Went to one of these stores up in Oldham and they are fab!!! Especially for their ready cooked foods and bakery stuff...Yummmm[/QUOTE]

Oh dear Hels, now you have totally lost my attention... MORRISONS! That is not food... The bakery is the worst bit of a shocking shop... It may look like bread...

Read recently that 10p of every pound spent in the UK on ANYTHING is spent in a tesco... It looks amazing but it is actually very expensive and horribly over packaged too. The veg is rubbish in all the UK supermarkets but if you like to eat crap then there is plenty of it...

MikeStanton

Talking of eating crap, you have the varied delights of Coles, Woolworths to tempt you in Oz I wonder how many cents of every food $ is spent in one of these companies' stores (or their subsidiaries, like BiLo) ? 40 cents?

debsy

Yummy the fresh baked pies in Morrison are delicious